The University of Akron Athletics
Zips Start MAC Cross-Divisional Play at Western Michigan
January 26 | Men's Basketball
GAME 20
Akron (13-6, 3-2 MAC) at
Western Michigan (11-7, 3-2 MAC)
Wednesday, January 27
7 p.m. ET
University Arena (5,421)
Kalamazoo, Mich.
Television: None
Webcast/Audio Stream/Live Statistics: Webcast and live statistics available at WMUBroncos.com. Audio stream available through ZipsZone subscription.
Radio: Akron-ISP Sports Network - SportsRadio 1350
AM (WARF) in Akron and through ZipsZone subscription on GoZips.com. Steve
French (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (analyst) (6:30 p.m. ET
airtime).
Akron Coach Keith Dambrot (Akron
'82):
Is in his sixth season at the helm for the Zips, maintaining a
128-57 (.692) mark in that time. Both his win total and win
percentage rank third all-time in program history (178 wins is
second). Dambrot is 236-127 (.650) in his 12th season as a
collegiate head coach. He is 6-7 all-time versus Western Michigan
(6-3 as coach at Akron).
The Series: The all-time series is tied, 17-17,
but Akron has claimed six of the last seven meetings. The Zips
posted an 87-63 win in last season's lone meeting with the Broncos,
which came on Feb. 8, 2009 at UA's Rhodes Arena. WMU's win in that
stretch came on Feb. 6, 2008 in Kalamazoo (86-66). The Broncos hold
an 11-4 record versus the Zips when playing in University Arena and
UA's last win in Kalamazoo came on Jan. 10, 2006 (69-55). The Zips
claimed three wins over the Broncos during the 2005-06 season,
including a 72-57 win in the MAC Tournament quarterfinal (March 9,
2006).
Up Next: Akron opens a three-game homestand on
Saturday when it takes on Toledo at 7 p.m. ET.
Streaks, Storylines, Sidebars...
• Akron closes out a five-game span in which it played on
the road four times (1-2 road record during that period, and has
dropped consecutive road games). The Zips open a three-game
homestand on Saturday versus Toledo and play six of their final 10
conference games at home (UA also has an away ESPN BracketBusters
contest at a TBA non-league opponent on Feb. 20).
• The Zips have lost two of their last three games, but
are 13-4 after opening the season 0-2. UA's early season rally
included a season-long, six-game win streak that tied for the best
victory stretch by a MAC team thus far this season (Northern
Illinois had a six-game streak end on Saturday).
• UA has won a MAC-best 13 games and is the only team in
the league to have ended its non-conference schedule with 10 wins
(10-4). The Zips did not post their tenth victory last season until
game No. 18.
• Akron, the defending MAC Tournament champion, was picked
to finish first in the MAC's East Division and was also selected as
the league's overall preseason favorite (19 first-place votes) and
conference tournament winner (19 votes) in a poll of league
media.
• The Zips are ranked No. 20 in the latest
CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 (comes out each Monday
throughout the season). The squad was ranked No. 8 in the poll's
preseason edition and was listing No. 18 last week.
• Akron leads the league in field goal percentage (44.4
percent) and scoring margin (+7.5, 75th nationally), and ranks
third in scoring (70.2 ppg) and fourth in 3-point field goal
percentage (34.7 percent); while also ranking second in field goal
percentage defense (allowing 40.1 percent, 58th nationally) and
scoring defense (allowing 62.7 ppg, 54th nationally).
• UA has held eight opponents to 59 or fewer points this
season (going 8-0 in those games) and has kept two league foes to
under 50 (topped Miami 69-49 on Jan. 20 and Bowling Green 71-45 on
Jan. 9). Five Zips' foes have scored over 70 points (UA is 1-4 in
those games). In Saturday's loss at Kent State, Akron gave up a
season-high 87 points.
• Akron has held the advantage on the boards 15 times this
season and had a five-game streak of doing so snapped on Saturday
at Kent State, when it was outboarded 38-28. The Zips have
outrebounded an opponent 12 times in the last 14 games, with the
other exception coming at Wyoming (Dec. 30), when rebounds were
tied at 35. UA is 11-4 this season when it outrebounds an opponent
and is 6-0 when it outboards a foe by double digits. The Zips' +4.5
rebounding margin ranks second in the MAC and 58th nationally.
• UA has zero players averaging double-figure points, but
four are at 8.2 points per game or higher. Brett McKnight leads at
9.9 ppg (24th in MAC), with Jimmy Conyers (9.3 ppg, 30th
in MAC) following. Three players average double figures in MAC play
(Conyers - 13.8 ppg, Steve McNees - 10.4 ppg and
B. McKnight - 10.4 ppg).
• Steve McNees ranks second on
the team in assists (2.2 apg). He has 42 assists compared to 20
turnovers (16 assists, 6 turnovers in MAC play).
• Jimmy Conyers is averaging
13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds in league play. His team-high 6.7
rebounds per game (in all games) ranks eighth in the conference,
while his 53.6 field goal percentage is fourth.
• 7-foot freshman Zeke Marshall accounts for
33 of UA's 63 blocked shots (seven of 15 in MAC play). His 1.7
blocks per game number leads the MAC (85th nationally). The UA
single-season record for blocked shots is 65 (set by Romeo
Travis in 2006-07, 32 games) and Marshall's 33 rank ninth on
the list.
